Chapter 1

After working overseas for three years, I came home to find that the woman running my household had become my husband's secretary.

Tonight, they were hosting a celebration party, and every big name in the business world was showing up.

I was stopped at the entrance by security. His secretary glanced at me with open impatience and said, "This is a celebration party. We don't let random nobodies walk in. Security, get her out of here."

Before, I would've just waved it off and said nothing, letting people talk however they wanted.

But this time—now that I was living my life a second time—I raised my hand and slapped her. "You're just Richard's lackey. Who do you think you're talking to?"

*****

"You're out of your mind!" Emily clutched her cheek and started screaming like the world was ending.

People nearby heard the commotion and rushed over, forming a tight circle around us.

A maid hurried over with an ice pack, pressing it against Emily's face while giving me a smug, judgmental look. "Mrs. Lane, are you okay?

"Where did this hillbilly crawl out from? How dare you lay a hand on Mrs. Lane!"

I let out a soft laugh. "You work for the Lane family, and you don't even recognize your own mistress?"

Tonight's celebration party was being held right here in the house.

I'd been gone for three years, and Richard had changed the entire staff apparently enough times that none of them knew who actually ran this place.

In my last life, I barely showed my face. I stayed home most of the time, and no one knew who I was.

Then I followed Richard's orders, went overseas to build a new market, and disappeared from the public eye.

By the time I succeeded, Richard hired thugs to kill me so he could take my company for himself.

They butchered me until I wasn't even recognizable.

He swallowed my family's company whole and crowned himself king of the industry.

My father died from a stroke the moment he heard what happened.

And Emily stepped right into my spot, pretending to be me while she and Richard enjoyed the empire I built.

This time around, I wasn't letting her pretend to be me ever again.

I said, "This entire party was planned by me. I wrote every name on those invitations myself.

"If I'm not the lady of this house, then tell me—who is? You? You're just my husband's secretary. Know your place."

Emily's eyes filled with tears as she put on her pitiful act.

The maid shot me another nasty look and turned back to fawn over her.

"Mrs. Lane, don't bother with someone like her," she said. "Some people really don't know their place. She isn't even worthy of holding your purse.

"She doesn't even have an invitation and still wants to sneak in to land herself a sugar daddy."

Watching the two of them performing like a comedy duo, I let out a cold laugh. "You're right. Some people really are blind. And some toads really do think they deserve a swan."

Then I picked up my phone and sent a text.

An invitation? If I wanted to walk in, getting one was the easiest thing in the world.

A Maybach pulled up outside, and a man in a perfectly tailored suit stepped out.

He chuckled, "First time I've ever seen someone get blocked from entering their own house. You were doing great overseas with me—why come back just to get treated like this?"

That was Nathan Dawson, my overseas business partner.

Nathan was nobility from Eldoria, with massive influence abroad.

For the past three years, most of my work had been coordinating with his company.

"Did you bring the invitation the Lane family sent you?" I said. "I'm going to borrow your reputation and walk in with you."

I slipped my arm through his and walked right into the ballroom without a single obstacle.

Emily was mingling effortlessly with a glass of champagne in hand, looking every bit like the lady of the house.

She spotted me the moment I entered, and her face went pale. "Who let her in? Someone get this bumpkin out of here, now!"

"Mrs. Lane, I actually have an invitation tonight," I said. "And I heard you're from the Carter family and speak several languages. Since my guest here is a major figure from Eldoria, why don't you introduce yourself?"

I smiled at Emily, then gently pulled Nathan forward.

"Introduce myself? Who do you think you are?" Emily scoffed. "You're nothing but hired help. You're not even fit to carry my shoes."

Emily held her champagne like she owned the place, looking down on me without a shred of restraint.

"Oh? Mrs. Lane, are you looking down on me? Or is there something you're trying to hide?" I asked. "Don't tell me you can't speak Eldorian?

"If that's the case, are you really Mrs. Lane? Or just pretending?

"This is Nathan Dawson, a major force in the overseas market. Surely the Lane family isn't dismissing someone of his status?"

I gave Emily a slow once-over, then nudged Nathan.

He immediately spoke a long string of fluent Eldorian and directed it at her.

Nathan might be foreign, but countless companies in the country worked with him. Everyone knew who he was.

"That really is Nathan. I've seen him on the news. I thought the Lane family wanted to partner with Mr. Dawson? Why is Mrs. Lane acting like she doesn't know him?"

"Didn't Mrs. Lane claim she speaks eight languages and studied in Eldoria? Why does she look completely lost right now?"

"Exactly. The way she's panicking—maybe something's not right."

The murmurs around us grew louder.

I picked up a glass of champagne, tapped mine against Nathan's, and began introducing him to everyone at the table—speaking fluent, smooth Eldorian the entire time.

A few people actually raised their thumbs.

"Is she really a fake?"

"Looks like it. Even if she didn't know Nathan, she should understand the language, right?"

All eyes shifted toward Emily, assessing her from head to toe.

The moment she heard what I said, Emily snapped. She hurled her champagne glass at me.

I stepped aside casually and hooked my foot out.

Emily tripped instantly, crashing to the floor. Champagne drenched her from head to toe, her hair sticking to her face in messy wet strands.

"You dare lay a hand on me? Richard will make you pay for this!" she screamed.

"Make you pay? You should worry about whether I'm going to let you walk away," I said, staring at her with pure contempt.

"Mrs. Lane, are you alright?" The maid rushed up to help her off the ground.

The wealthy ladies who had just been watching the drama sauntered over with tissues in hand.

"You truly have no manners at all. Is this how our family taught you?" one of them said sharply. "I know exactly who my son's wife is supposed to be. Do you have to ruin a perfectly good party like this?"